Method of treating automobile tires and products resulting therefrom



Jan. "11, 1927.

H. H. ALLYN ET AL METHOD OF TREATING AUTOMOBILE TIRES AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREFROM Original Filed 7, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 11,1927. 1,614,024

H. H. ALLYN ET AL METHOD OF TREATING AUTOMOBILE TIRES AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREFROM Original Filed Fe 7, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES. W

irromvzFys Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARLEY H. ALLYN, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, AND JOSEPH S. VTILLIAMS, OF WALLINGFORD, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID ALLYN ASSIGNOR TO SAID WILLIAMS.

METHOD OF TREATING AUTOMOBILE TIRES AND PRODUCTS RESULTING THEREFROM.

Application filed February 7, 1918, Serial No. 215.788. Renewed March 31, 1926.

The object of our present invention is to utilize the tire carcasses of worn-out automobile tires and treat them in such a manner as to produce new and valuable products which are adapted for a variety of uses.

In the methods heretofore employed, the worn-out and discarded automobile tires are ground up and subjected to an acid treatment in order to remove the fabric, and thereafter the acid is wash-ed out and the rubber reclaimed in the well-known manner, the result of which is that the fabric in the tire carcass, which is of an unusually high grade, is not available for any useful purpose.

In accordance with our present invention, substantially all of the parts of the tire are available for future use.

WVith the above in view, our in ention consists of a novel method of treating wornout automobile-tires or similar products.

It further consists of a novel method of treating tire carcasses, wherein the outer layers of rubber are first removed. The outer face of the carcass is then brush-ed or buffed off in order to clean and roughen the surface so that the rubber to be applied will more readily adhere thereto. The plies of fabric and rubber are then subjected to heat and pressure, and the blanks are then cut from a sheet of material thus formed, the form of the blank depending upon the use to which it is to be put.

In case a sole is to be made, the blank is dipped in cement, a layer of rubber composition is applied to one side and itis then placed in a mold and subjected to heat and pressure. The portion of the tire carcass which is of too small dimensions to form the desired blank is ground up and treated with acid to remove the fabric and the material is then washed and the rubber reclaimed in the usual manner.

Our invention further consists of a novel product arising from the steps of our novel method, such product being adapted for a great variety of uses, such as for example, the soles and heels of shoes, packing, gaskets, and other devices too numerous to specifically mention.

Other novel features will hereinafter more clearly appear in the detailed description and the appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating one manner of carrying out our invention in practice, we have shown in the accompanying drawings, typical embodiments of constructions which may be employed, but it is of course to be understood that such illustrations are typical only, and that our invention may be carried out in practice by means of any desired mechanism.

Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a heating receptacle into which the tires are first placed.

Figure 2 represents diagraimnatically a side elevation of a stripping mechanism.

Figure 3 represents diagrammatically side elevation of a cleaning device.

Figure d represents diagrammatically sectional elevation of a flattening device.

Figure 5 represents diagrammatically a side elevation of a cutting mechanism.

Figure 6 represents diagrammatically side elevation of a vulcanizing device.

Figure 7 represents diagrannnatically and in side elevation another type of stripping mechanism which may be employed.

Figure 8. represents diagrammatically a perspective view of a die and the blank from which the soles are to be cut.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings In carrying out our invention, we take a tire carcass, and the outer layer of rubber 2 is first removed. In order to facilitate this removal, the tire carcasses are first placed in a heating receptacle 3, see Figure 1, which may be heated in any desired manner, but preferably by means of steam introduced through the inlet pipe 4, which iscontrolled in any desired manner, and the steam is discharged from the receptacle 3 through the discharge pipe 5. The outer layer of rubber 2 may be removed in any desired manner, but this is preferably accomplished by first starting the removal of the outer layer 6 and then clamping the end of the tire at 7 to the drum 8, which is provided wtih any desired means for efiecting its rotation. This drum 8, if desired, may

be provided with a steam inlet pipe 9 and a discharge port 10, so that the tire carcass may be maintained at a desired temperature during the stripping operation,

The free end of the outer layer 2 of the rubber is held stationary by the clamping jaw 11, so that during the revolution of the drum 8, the outer layer of rubber 2 is removed from the body or fabric portion 12 of the tirecarcass. If. the layers of, fabric 12 have a sufficient number of plies in them,

the body portion may be split or the entire order to roughen the surfaceof the carcass;

so that the rubber to be applied will more readily adhere. A: conventional type of such mechanism is illustrated in Figure 3 in which 18 designates a buffing or. cleaning wheel which is mounled'on a shaft 19 on which is also mounted a pulley 2O whichis driven by means of a belt actuated by any desired source of power. 21 designates. a. table over which the carcass is. passed. The. carcass. is.

now heated andflattened out by passing it between plates and subjectingit to pressure as will be understood by reference to. Figure 4. The upper pressure rollsare adapted to be driven by abelt and thelower pressure rolls are also adapted to be driven by a belt. Provisionis. made for. heating these rolls, and all ofthese rollsare provided with an inlet for the heating mediumand-an outlet. The upper and lower pressure plates are provided, each of whichare chambered, and means are provided to inainta in a desired temperature within such chan'ibers. Each chamber is provided with an inlet and an outlet for a ten'lperature changing.medium,

and these can be controlledin any desired manner. The carcass is. now. in a. Hat con:

dition and is ready to be formed into blanks.

as for example, the tread portion, and in some cases it is advisable to subject the carcass to heat, in order to facilitate the removal. of. the outer layer of rubber. It is also sometimes.desirable to first remove the beads of the tire of the carcass. If the carcass is provided with a sufficient number of plies, it may be split into any desired number of'layers depending upon the thickness. ofv the carcass. The carcass is then brushed o'li' in order to clean its outer face and. to rough the surface so. that the rubher to be applied will more readily adhere to. the carcass. The. carcass is. then subjectedto heat and pressure in order to.fia,tten it out. The desired form of blanks. are then. cut out and suchblanks are then. preferably. dipped in cement; and a layer.- of rubber compound applied to, one or both sides and also to the edges ifdesired, The blan {S are thenLplaced; in molds and, subjected to heat and pressnre-iin order to v, ul cauize the rubben compounds of the blank The. material. which is. left after cutting out the blanks andtheportions of the car.- cass such as cannot be used; for blanksis then subjected to the ordinary reclaimingprocess in order to recover the rubber.

As is wellknown to those skilled in this art, a very high grade fabric is employed, in the making of tires andthe expense of.- snch fabric in the making. of articles like shoe soles or heels. is prohibitory unless .such fabric can be obtained from a by-product. It hasbcen found in practice that, soles made of: worn out, tire carcasses. aremore. flexible than the ordinary rubber or leather sole and they willstand a greateramount of wear than the rubber or leather soles now in use. They arealso lighten in weight thairthe ordinary leather sole.

it will be apparent fronrthe, foregoingthat we have devised: a novel method; of; treating tire carcasses. which embodies. the features of advantage enun erated in the statement of the invention a d theforego ing description and; while we.l1ave,,in t he present instance, illustrated. certain constructions for carrying out'our invention-in practice, it isto be understood: that the. mechauisn'is employedjmay vary widely in practice and thata number of the stops here- I in set forth may. be omitted without departing from the spirit or scope or; our-in; vcntion.

Having thus described our invention, what; we claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The methochoftreating tire-carcasses, which consists in subjecting. the the car cases to heat, removing-thetread portion, subjecting the carcass to heat and pressure. to flatten it, cutting out blanks from the .re-

main inn portion, applying rubber compound to the blanks, and then "ulcanizing.

52. The method of treating tire carcasses, which consists in heating the tire to soften the rubber removing an outer layer of rubber by stripping it from the fabric in the direction of the length of the carcass, roughening the surface of the carcass, subjecting it to heat and pressure, flattening the carcass, forming blanks from the carcass in the form of the article to be produced, applying cement to the blanks, applying rubber over the cement, and then placing such blanks in a mold and subjecting them to heat and pressure to complete the articles.

HARLEY H. ALLYN. JOSEPH S. VILLIAMS. 

